Second Assistant Director

Help the First Assistant Director to keep film production running smoothly.

Quick Stats

Salary Range

$45,000 – $112,000

Data from U.S. Department of Labor

What do Second Assistant Directors do?

The primary role of the Second Assistant Director is to be the right hand at all times to the First Assistant Director (the person who keeps order on set), creating fewer headaches for them, and making sure that all of their directions are being carried out. The Second Assistant Director is also in charge of supervising the Third Assistant Director if there is one. Your daily tasks as Second Assistant Director are exhaustive, but you get to be around some pretty amazing people.

One of your main jobs is to manage the Actors’ schedules by creating the call sheets, making sure they’re in hair and makeup on time, and getting them to set. You are also the liaison between the set and the production office, updating the big-wigs on the status of production.

Each day you make the following day’s call sheet, which means collaborating with the First Assistant Director to pin down the Actors’ schedules and transportation. Then it’s up to you to make sure that the Actors know exactly when they are supposed to be on set; movie-making is too costly to mess up here. You may also be in charge of coordinating the Extras and making sure they are costumed, transported, and on set on time.

Should I be a Second Assistant Director?

You should have
a
bachelor's
degree or higher and share these traits:

Detail Oriented:
You pay close attention to all the little details.

Ready for a Challenge:
You jump into new projects with initiative and drive.

Team Player:
You're able to listen, communicate, and work with tons of different people.